Letters (The Old Blood)
Prologue Note from research assistant Winkler 28 Feb. 1946 Research assistant Ernst Ziegler was burned to death today when performing an experiment on object #12-1 from the Wulfburg dig. A small explosion occurred when Herr Ziegler tried to operate the object. His torso caught fire and the fire spread to his head. We tried to put the fire out, but eventually he succumbed to the flames. I am now forced to write a letter to his wife. Need to come up with a good explanation. 12-1 is a very large crude-looking device which holds a series of optical lenses, an incinerator with traces of magnesium, and other as of yet unidentified components. We have dated the device to circa 964 AD. It's likely to have been intended as a stationary weapon for larger battles. Uncertain if it ever was deployed in battle or if a version was ever developed which functioned without engulfing its user in flames. I wonder, could this device be what Albert Einstein proposed as a "laser" in his paper "On the Quantum Theory of Radiation"? If so, we might be on the verge of the greatest scientific discovery of the decade! Once safety procedures have been improved, the experiments will continue. Gottfried Winkler Note from research assistant Lang 4 Jan. 1945 Helga is in a meeting with the Führer the whole week. Got to shake his hand. Seemed like a very pleasant man, but his hands were clammy and cold. There was a faint unpleasant odor too. Helga assigned me to lead the research team while she was preoccupied with out visitor. Discoveries of note: an ancient construction sketch lodged in between two wooden panels. Seemed to have been used during the building of this castle. Castle was commissioned by King Otto to be a grandiose, impressive, terrifying to his enemies. Must have been quite the sight back then. A marvelous technical achievement by any standards. What piqued my interest was when I looked at the sketches and saw several spaces I could find no entrance to. Maybe some kind of hidden opening device? Will report this to Helga immediately when she is not otherwise engaged. Could it be the lost treasures of King Otto? Lang Helga's letter Castle Wolfenstein, Paderborn 1.2.1946 My Dear Reinhold, I have a secret to share. A secret concerning ancient Kings and arcane knowledge. But first... You know how to write a letter that warms a woman's heart, my dear Reinhold. And thank you so much for the wine - it was delicious. I hope you know how much I enjoy and value our continued correspondence, even though we are no longer lovers. Perhaps it was for the best, our separation, because I have witnessed sides of you now that I had never seen during any of our years before. Perhaps you are unable to open up your heart to women that you are romantically involved with? Anyway, I am currently drowning in my work! And it seems I will be so for most of this year. I feel an absolute bore, but I must decline your invitations to visit your estate in Florence. As soon as my calendar clears up, I will contact you, I promise! About the secret. Big things are afoot here at Castle Wolfenstein. Do you remember I confided in the last letter I sent you about finding King Otto's secret study chamber here in the castle? Well, I found the King's very own diary! I have had it translated and my God, Reinhold! It is such a fascinating read! I knew a lot about King Otto before, of course, seeing that I am a direct descendant to him, but I did not know that he had such a fervent interest in the occult sciences. Like me! It seems it runs in the family. This fascination seems to have developed after the death of his wife Eadgyth. It must have been a great loss to him. Of course, these personal details mean little to me, but what intrigued me, dear Reinhold, is what the King wrote about some parchments which came into his possession during an incident in Instanbul. These parchments seem to have been mostly related to advanced alchemical research. Even more fascinating, the King began to create war machines which he used to expand his empire. You can understand this sparked my curiosity! That's why I decided to start an investigation into what treasures of his could be still buried in this part of the country. I have recently launched an expedition to the nearby city of Wulfburg and I am currently making preparations to go there myself and oversee the operation. Anyway, hope to see you soon! Love, Helga Chapter One Lotti Kohl's Letter Whoever reads this My name is Lotti Kohl I was imprisoned by Helga Please, contact my father in Wulfburg Name is Robert Kohl Works at the library Tell him Helga is investigating the Defiled Church Please, this is very urgent Tell him I love him Note from the State Veterinarian Mr. Jäger, I appreciate that you are concerned about her health, but I assure you that surgery will not be necessary. Indeed, I do agree with your assessment that she has seemed irritable and withdrawn lately, but let me point out two important points that should ease your mind: 1. If you give her the medication, twice daily as prescribed, the kidney stones should pass naturally. 2. I know Greta is more than a mere dog to you, but once this ordeal is over she will quickly forget about it and return to her normal jolly self. Otto Weiß State Veterinarian Note from a Nazi officer Helmut, Add this to the incoming patients file. Don't forget it this time or Helga is going to go crazy again. Remember last time? Let's not go through that again. Three new patients this week: First patient B-6 apparently has visions of "dark caves beneath Wulfburg." Second patient B-7 dreams of "armies destroyed by rays of light." Third patient B-8 thinks he hears the "thoughts of the rotting machine beast." Good grief, what nonsense this is. I'll never forgive you for recommending me for duty here. And stop leaving notes like this lying around. Erich (scribbled on the note:) Officer Helmut - send Erich to the African front. As infrantry. Helga. Patient interview note from Helga I am preoccupied by Jonas Hartmann. There's more to this patient's ramblings than the manifestations of a psychosis. He's describing reoccurring visions connected to the city of Wulfburg. Visions that seem to be related to King Otto. A church burnt to the ground. Strange machinery in an underground labyrinth. Rotting limbs twisting and moving in darkness. It's all very intriguing! Could be our first real lead to find the buried treasures of King Otto. I will interview him in the library. What wine to choose? He seems like a Sauvignon kind of man. I shall enjoy this. Chapter Two Note from Helga Need to get this inscription on the sarcophagus translated... "EDIT REGINE CINERES HIC SARCOPHAGUS HABET" Chapter Three Ingrid's Letter Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen January 6, 1946 Rudi, my sweet boy, I wish you could have taken time to visit your poor old mother this Christmas. Maybe you were busy, what do I know? When you were little, you were such a good boy. Such a good son. I honestly feel, and maybe I should have told you this, that I was blessed to have had you in my life. I know your Father could be cruel, very cruel, to you sometimes, but that's all in the past now, isn't it? Best not to dwell on such things. And besides, I was always there to nurse your wounds to stave off infections, so I think it's unfair of you to blame me for what he did. You know, he only meant to correct you and sometimes, frankly, it was all in his right to do so. While you were a good son most of the time, you could also be very, very bad when that dark mood fell upon you. I'm sure you understand why your Father had to use his belt. My dead boy. You know how I fell upon hard times after your father died and I had to send you away to your cousins in Frankfurt. Well, now that you are so successful with the SS, I was thinking you could send me some money. I'm not asking for much, my dear. But it would ease the pain that comes with growing old alone. Your loving mother, Ingrid. Note from a scholar of King Otto I I have had the text translated for you, Frau Obersturmbannführer. 'Today I was a witness to the great battle of Lechfeld when my Lord King Otto's army slaughtered more than 45,000 invading Magyars. I have always enjoyed the dance of death. However, I have never seen anything like what I saw today, when the King sent his secret weapons given unto him by Almighty God into battle. These great angelical war beasts blazed through the battlefield like holy dragons. They picked up the horses from the ground and tore them apart. They ripped off the heads of the Magyar soldiers. They crushed the bones of the enemies as if they were made of brittle wood. When inspecting the aftermath of the battle I found that most of the Magyars were missing limbs, had been torn in half, or has been crushed to death. On a more worrying note, it seemed to me that a few of King Otto's chained beasts had open pus filled wounds even though I had not seen them take a hit from a blade or an axe. Upon further inspection, it looked as if their bodies were decomposing from some kind of unknown corruption. A curse perhaps? I could almost see their tissue melting straight off the bones. I have expressed these concerns to King Otto.' Note from a scholar of King Otto II Here is the translation you asked for, Frau Obersturmbannführer. 'I have so far applied all of my skills to deciphering the confusing translation bestowed to me by the King's linguistic scholars. Many of King Otto's parchments were badly damaged, scorched by fire, and missing complete paragraphs that seemingly contained crucial information. Also, my work has been slowed down considerably by utterly dismal test conditions in these dungeons. However, during the last month, I have been making enormous strides in my research; the bodily fluids circulating within a human can be altered with an alchemical substance which is partially described in one of the text fragments. In theory, I should be able to create a serum which can awaken dead tissue. This would allow wounded soldiers to be healed in the middle of a battle! However, as a fascinating side effect, one of the test subjects died from the alchemical compound and when I went to pull the sheet over his body - he opened his eyes. The subject had remarkably returned from death! Thus far I have successfully brought five test subjects back to life. I have observed that subjects returning from death enter into a catatonic sleep-like state. Furthermore, the body temperature of the subjects increased dramatically. I have even seen some of them spontaneously burst into flames from the accumulated internal heat. Another unfortunate side-effect is that they become gripped by a murderous frenzy which seems to never wane. The only way to permanently kill them seems to be by destroying the brain or hack them into little pieces. I have started calling them "shamblers" because of how they move. More experimentation is need. As soon as I get my reinforced straps for the dissection table I shall attempt a vivisection on one of them. Siegbald Berger' Note from a scholar of King Otto III Here is the translation you asked for, Frau Obersturmbannführer. 'It's hard to write in these dungeons. We are running out of candles and need to stock up during our next visit to Paderborn. Last week I gave the alchemical concoction provided to me by Siegbald Berger to one of the war beasts. Hitherto, it has shown mostly positive effects. Their muscles have grown stronger, and both strength and agility seem to have greatly improved. What is especially remarkable, however, is that this alchemical concoction has solved the problem of decaying flesh exhibited by previous incarnations. This would, of course, make them more reliable when used in battle. Of note is a strange side-effect where the beasts release noxious green-colored gases which seem to have no effect on humans. We need to investigate further, however. Do not want our soldiers falling ill out on the battlefield. Also, I am not sure if I am imagining this, but it does seem to me that the beasts have grown bigger over the past month. Konrad Acker' Note from Helga I December. The Wulfburg mystery deepens. I thought it was destroyed by invading barbarians. Wrong! New theory: the razing was ordered by King Otto. Why? Were the citizens disloyal? No record can tell, only that it was quick and sudden. The city was rebuilt decades later and all of the events seemingly erased from history. What secrets must not be buried underneath its ashes? Overheard a couple of soldiers discussing this the other day. Mentioned giants and demons. Simple folktales by simple people, but as always these kinds of stories carry a grain of truth. I must research more. The snow is falling heavier outside today. Maybe I will read tonight in front of the fireplace. Dinner with Karl tomorrow - very exciting! What shall I wear? Note from Helga II Interview with patient C-12, Gebbert Baumann, revealed very little. Patient claims to have visions of burning people walking through the streets of Wulfburg. Visions came to him shortly after we set up the dig site. Patient is a Jew but I will keep him around a while longer in case his visions reveal more interesting information Interrogation report 16.3.1946 Interviewer: Sturmbannführer Rudi Jäger Subject: 460119-01 Subject is a suspected double agent working for the allied forces. Subject was arrested inside Castle Wolfenstein accompanied by another agent -- subject 460119-02 -- while breaking into Frau Obersturmbannführer's office for archaeological research. The agents are also suspected to have been aided by a contact person from the underground resistance in Paderborn village. 1. The subject was asked about his identity, his mission to Castle Wolfenstein, what he was after in Frau Obersturmbannführer's office, and who his contact is in the village. The subject refused to answer any of the questions. 2. Electric shocks were administered to the subject. Subject is mentally much stronger than initially thought. He maintained his refusal to cooperate, despite the physical strain that was put upon his body. 3. The electrocution was suspended in favor of other enhanced interrogation techniques. Blunt trauma to the head, knife cuts to the body, and splashing ice cold water in the subject's face was administered. No results. The subject is not being cooperative. Most people would have broken down long before this. The subject must be a very experienced and high-ranking agent. 4. The subject refuses to reveal the identity of their resistance contact even after a lengthy session of electrocution. The subject is physically almost worn out and will most likely perish from a few more seconds of electrocution. The interrogation is suspended for a short break to let the subject recuperate. Chapter Four Note from Annette Day 1 - Asked Herr Kessler if I could spy for him. He said yes. I will write down my observations here. Day 9 - This is boring. Nothing ever happens. I think too much and get sad. Day 15 - Many Nazis patrolling past the tavern. One of them looked up but I don't think he saw me. Miss you. Day 16 - A group of Nazis and the Nazi woman Helga came by. They are going somewhere. Preparing vehicles. Day 17 - Helga left town with an army. Where? Day 18 - Big man from the castle came by with dog. Looks scary. Day 21 - Herr Kessler told me to stop with my spying. Too dangerous he said. People could see. Day 61 - Herr Kessler told me allied agents are coming. Need to make preparations. Back to spying. Day 63 - Managed to steal sleeping pills from the apothecary. Got chased by a Nazi. My heart is racing. Day 64 - Two Nazis drinking in the bar. Put the ground-up sleeping pills in their beer. They passed out in the alley. We dragged them inside and took their clothes. Kessler told me to go and fold the clothes and put them in a box. Day 66 - Went out through the underground lake and into the woods. Put the box with the clothes in the car hidden in the clearing just like Herr Kessler told me. So good to feel the sunshine again. Day 69 - Explosions from the castle. Agents? Scared but excited too. Maybe I will see you again. Sophie's Letter Berlin September, 1937 My love, A cold wind is blowing outside, rattling the windows. As I sit here writing this letter, I'm wondering what you are doing. Are you getting the story you were after? I know you've find it arduous working as a journalist under the Regime. If you feel your only option left is to leave the country, I will follow you wherever you go. Maybe England? Didn't you have some friends there? Yes, I miss you too. To day I do not lie awake at night would belie the extent of my longing for you. Sometimes, I wake up blushing from the feverish dreams I have about you. I'm blushing now, as I write this, thinking about it. I wish I could have you here right now. I wish I could touch you. Feel your warmth against me. It's much colder here in Berlin than it ought to be when September comes to an end. This city is changing. Every day, I hear the trampling of their boots outside my window. To think such a small man could be the cause of such big problems? I fear what has become of our country. Anna and I went to the cinema last night. After the film was over, and we were walking home, a group of Jugend boys followed us through the streets. One of them had read my column in the paper and had decided he did not like it (or me) very much. They hounded us, shouting things. Ugly things. But they could not intimidate us, no matter how they tried. We will not allow them to intimidate us. Don't worry, love. My friends are taking care of me. There are always people around me. People I can trust. Can't wait for you to come home. All my love, Sophie. Drug prescription For: Herr Ludwig Kessler Address: Königstrasse 12 Barbital 1 mg For depression Take as directed Date: Jan. 1946 Doctor: Dr. Bernhard Hirsch Reg. number: 73629 Note from Kessler Must never forget what you said, Sophie. "Question authority. Stand up for the rights of your fellow human beings. Fight for their equal worth. Be kind." And this they murdered you for. I will finish what you started, my love. Can I ever feel that young Annette will be safe? Maybe not. She tells me she wants to find her friend in Wulfburg. I will have you to let her go at some point. Chapter Five Note from Pippa 11th of March, 1946 Went out last night after my shift at the hospital to take a closer look at the dig site beyond the old church ruins (the locals call it "the defiled church"). Encountered a couple of guards patrolling the perimeter. Bless your heart, mother, for insisting on speaking German at home. Started acting tipsy when one of them approached me. Good call. They let me go. Could feel the commander's eyes all over me. Said he was close with Helga. Will seek him out again. Take him home and make him talk. Little Nazi wanker. Dig site has grown. The Nazis aren't exactly treating the dead with respect. Tombstones toppled over. Caskets dug up from the earth. Noticed they have been using that Laderoboter to dig a new tunnel into the northern part of the graveyard. What are they looking for? What's so important? Civilians afraid to speak up against this act of blasphemy? Or simply acquiescent? May never know. Note from Felix the tavern owner Heinz, you are a disgrace! The Frau almost flayed me alive because of that overcooked steak you sent up to her room. We need to keep her happy as long as she stays in our guest house. As the chef you are responsible for the food. Let me make a few things clear for you and your staff: - The Frau DESPISES sweet things! Do not put sugar in her morning coffee, do not offer dessert. In fact, avoid all sweet things completely. Fruits, what have you. - Salads, well, then use plenty of salt and vinegar in the dressing. - The Frau enjoys red meat. Don't overcook it - she likes it bloody ("it should almost crawl off the plate" she told me). Never serve her fish. Or seafood of any kind for that matter. Stick to safe bets: steaks (barely dead), meaty sausages, ground beef, juicy pork, etc. - The Frau drinks wine as if it was water, but she is very picky with where it was produced and what year it's from. We are getting a shipment of her personal wine stock from Castle Wolfenstein, but until then, only use the best from our wine cellar. Never serve her port (important!). You can serve any other wine, as long as it is not sweet. This is serious, Heinz. If you mess this up again, she'll have my head on a plate. I'll make damn sure you go down with me if that happens! Note from Officer Albert March 17, 1946 Been here for a month now. I'm starting to miss home. Helga has been on my back every single day since I broke the damn Laderoboter. I need to prove to her that I am a shining example of an SS soldier. But I have to be honest, the catacombs are really freaking me out. I peeked into one of Randolph's notes the other day. He writes something about "volatile ancient technology" and that there may be something dangerous waiting for us below. I've been on too many digs like this with Helga to know that there are a lot of weird things out there on God's green earth that's just waiting to crawl out and devour the world. So I'll take his word for it and go get piss drunk at the tavern tonight. Chapter Six Note from Helga March 14, 1946 So close now, I can taste blood in my mouth. What secrets must await me inside the vault! King Otto's secrets, my forebear, passing on the torch to me. A part of me believes the King is communicating with me from beyond. The whispers in the dark below. I think it's him. Side note: expecting that dreadful parody of a man, Schreiner, any day now. His letter said Deathshead has ordered him to oversee my project. Ha! We'll see about that! Will probably need to stock up on more wine to get me through that. Note from a Nazi officer Karl, send this telegram to the dig site camp: To Eberhardt, I have repaired the Laderoboter. Even though it's a sturdy machine, beware of wear and tear when using it in the dig site tunnels. I have ordered spare parts and fuel from Castle Wolfenstein, in case it breaks down again. You can pick up the repaired Laderoboter by the old town gates. Gustaf Note from Herr Obermann Marthe. You will have to come in twice a day now. It's the troops. They come here from that unchristian graveyard excavation and clog up the drains with mud and filth. And they behave like pigs, spilling beer and dropping cigarettes in the pools! I know these soldiers are fighting for the fatherland, but do they have to use my curtains to blow their noses? I will of course double your (rest of sentence is smudged with blood and unreadable) Chapter Eight King Otto's Letter Frau Obersturmbannführer, As requested, here is the translated letter of King Otto. Gottfried Winkler 'Otto, by the grace of God, Holy Roman Emperor, to venerable Konrad, abbot of Wulfburg, -- his most kind greeting. Because of the nature of our problem and the significant threat we face both from... (illegible) ...I have made the decision to end your investigations into the Parchments from Constantinople. I am well aware, my loyal friend, how dedicated you have been to... (illegible) ...and a gift bestowed upon me by God. This latest construction, however, is an abomination from hell. I know you have frequently complained about the parchments being incomplete but I suspect it is actually the Devil that is trying to steer us onto the left hand path. We shall not give in to his wishes. (Enitre paragraph illegible) By the power vested in me from our Lord, I command you to burn everything in the tunnels. Destroy everything and let nothing live. You must leave nothing behind which can reveal what has taken place in those tunnels. I want all evidence of your... (illegible) ...in Wulfburg destroyed. You must burn the map of the complex. And if you can't destroy the... (illegible) ...in the inner vault, then seal it shut so that none may enter! (illegible) ...burn the entire city to the ground if you must. I will send my best men to assist you in this task. If word escapes of what went down there, my dear friend, you know I will be required to have your head chopped off and... (illegible) Do this, then return to Paderborn and I will make sure to reward you justly and have you assigned to a... (illegible)' Note from Helga I First entry, transcribed from Father Gregory's diary: 'March 11, 1934. How difficult to distinguish local legends from long forgotten truths! But I'm beginning to suspect I'm on to something. There is a network of ancient tunnels hidden away underneath the defiled church ruins. I'm becoming more and more convinced of this. Something is down there, hidden away from the world, perhaps never meant to be found. I'm thinking one only hides something if it's either hideous or valuable. I feel it in my soul that it's something valuable - a treasure? Oh Lord, if I should find this treasure I could use it in celebration of your glorious name. Send me a sign, Oh Lord, if that is what you wish of me. Must remember to buy milk for the cats before I go home today.' Note from Helga II Second entry, transcribed from Father Gregory's diary: 'April 7, 1935. I have found an old map, very old, along with a letter from King Otto - the Holy Roman Emperor! I knew it! The tunnels. They are real. Oh, Lord - thank you for finally showing me a sign!' Note from Helga III Third entry, transcribed from Father Gregory's diary: 'August 19, 1935. August has been so hot - I'm sweating like a pig! And while the heat is melting the skin off my bones, this research into what lies buried underneath the defiled church has started to haunt me in my dreams. It's been going on for the past few weeks now. I believe I must desist. I believe it's the work of the Devil! Demons and witches, working for the Beast, trying to fool me. I have seen them following me, disguised as humans! Well, I will not be fooled by them! I have tried to burn the letter and the map I found, but I cannot! I will hide them instead. Keep them safe.' Note from SS archaeologist Randolph I Frau Obersturmbannführer, I suggest that we dig a tunnel into the northwestern part of the graveyard. There are many clues that lead me to believe we could more easily find the way into King Otto's underground complex by going that way. We would need to dig very deep and we would need a lot more man-power to build things like elevators, rail tracks, power conduits, and so on. When you have the time, please come and consult me, Randolph Note from SS archaeologist Randolph II 16th March, 1946 We've entered the ancient catacombs now. I am haunted by reoccurring nightmares. They wake me up every night. I feel that the deeper we progress, the more intensely horrifying the nightmares become. The acute sense of horror abates after I have had my breakfast and coffee, but during the waking hours a nameless dread builds up; a fear of what lies hidden in the deep. I am overcome by waves of anxiety every time Eberhardt, the dig foreman, comes to report excavation results. Yesterday, I thought I heard a ghostly voice in the dark. Couldn't make out the words. Maybe I should go to the infirmary. But then, what would Helga think of me? Would she think I was weak? That's the last thing I want. I pray this project will be over soon as we can leave this accursed village. Randolph Note from SS archaeologist Randolph III February 17 Located the antechamber to the inner vault. Curious puzzle mechanism here connected to some kind of gate. Need to solve to open the way to the entrance to the inner vault. Helga believes she can solve it quickly. Her mental acuity is impressive, but I have my doubts on how she will perform on this task. It looks highly complex, very impressive indeed for the work of a 10th century abbot. Randolph Note from Eberhardt the dig foreman I March 10. Daily status report: - Helga managed to solve that puzzle and the stone button will now reveal a staircase every time it is used. Behind the gate we found another passage blocked off by rocks. Should be a stone door behind these rocks, leading into the inner vault. - Need to prepare removal of rocks. Would rather avoid dynamite. Could damage the inner vault door. - Some of the men seem to have developed jelly-spines. Complaints about strange sounds coming from behind the rocks. Many of them complaining about nightmares. Silly childish superstitions. - The men need to celebrate. Will allow those who have worked hardest to go to the tavern some night. Eberhardt Note from Eberhardt the dig foreman II March 17. Managed to remove the rocks with dynamite. Stone door leading into the inner vault was damaged, like I feared. Some kind of green gas started leaking out of the rock. Had no smell. Curious. Will wait for Helga. Some of the men are talking about a curse. That we should not be here. Fritz died in the explosion. A stone came loose from the cavern ceiling and fell on his head. Tragic. Men are getting irritable. I hear them shouting as I write this. Must deal with this immediately. Eberhardt Note from SS archaeologist Randolph IV March 17. My God, I can't believe what I have just seen. We cleared the way into the inner vault. One of the men died in the explosion. While the others took care of the body, I could not resist opening the gate into the vault, despite what Helga said. I put a cloth over my mouth because of the strange green colored gas, but it got into my nose and left a burning sensation. Entering the inner vault, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of awe. Such an impressive feat, to build such a vast chamber this deep into the mountain. There seems to be no end to it. There must be treasures hidden here. Magnificent treasures of real historical value. Also, I observed the unidentifiable gas released from the cracks in the ground caused by the earthquake. In front of the entrance, there is a mechanism of sorts. Symbols on it, the same as on the map we retrieved from Helga's patient. Maybe it controls the aperture at the bottom of the pit. Helga has the map, so I cannot test this hypothesis yet. Something seems to be locked away there, underneath the earth. Hoping Helga will get here soon so we can study this further. Randolph Achievements Category:Wolfenstein: The Old Blood Category:Documents Category:Collectables